Sin City
by Ultimolu
Summary: [AU] He was the best detective on the force, with a proven track record of solved cases. She was the wife of a powerful businessman. A series of murders bring them together, but with many hidden dangers.
1. Prologue: My Story

**Notes**: So I've been out of commission for a while. I know my updates have been slow, but I had a situation last winter that lasted until now. I am recovered, thank goodness but I have a lot of catching up to do. I've made some changes to _Damnation_, and will be updating that hopefully tomorrow. It's under a new title and I've gotten rid of the header clutter in the beginning of each chapter. If you haven't had a chance, please read and review the interlude.

This story replaces _nemocen_. Unfortunately for that story, I came across a nasty writer's block and had to pull back from it. It may or may not come back in the future-I'm not sure yet. But I do know that this new one I'm writing is unlike anything I have ever done for any fandom. This takes place in the 1950's, which makes the plotline strictly AU. Everyone will still be in character so don't worry about that. I based this story loosely on that mobster-like outfit Leon had for Resident Evil 4. I couldn't help but feel he would make a badass 1950's detective.

This story is written from Leon's point of view.

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**|PROLOGUE: **MY STORY**  
**

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_Sin City._

_It was the center of every known case of homicides, grand larceny, extortion, and corruption. Everyday there was something to keep me occupied. I never grew tired of those files that piled up in front of my desk. It was like the science project I put together or the puzzles I did in my spare time. Some people would have grown tired of the chief busting through their office, but not me. I lived for the law, and I will do everything necessary to uphold it. _

_The city was my responsibility now, and I'd be damned if I allowed this crime spree to continue on._

_The name's Leon Scott Kennedy. After being on the force for ten years, I became Chicago's lead detective. I never planned on being a cop, until I saw my old man killed in a hail of gunfire during my highschool years. He wasn't the best father, but I was taught that he was still my old man regardless. I could have pretended that I didn't give a shit about what happened to him, but I knew it wasn't right. It took the department five years to catch his killer, while mom and I gave them as much information as possible. The minute I stared at that son of a bitch during a lineup was the day I wanted to enforce the law. Ma didn't approve of my choice at first, but in the end her dying wish was for me to make a name for myself._

_Fast forward to the year 1953, and here I am, working on a huge murder case. Based on the reports, it revolved around a pharmaceutical giant known as Umbrella. Not much is known about the CEO of the company but I'm sure I'll get the answers that I need soon. _

_After all, they don't call me the best detective for nothing..._


	2. Chapter One: Funeral Games

**Notes**: Thanks for the reviews so far-I appreciate them very much. I know some people are wary about this story and think I'll probably just take it down, but if I'm not comfortable with something or I get writer's block, it's better for me to rework everything than to have you wait for months on an update. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate the reviews. It just means that I am committed to bringing you the best of my writing. Hopefully this story will go smoothly, since I'm writing it in Leon's point of view. There will be twists, action, drama, romance, all that good stuff.

So please, give this story a chance.

Chapter Two will definitely be much longer.

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**|CHAPTER ONE**: FUNERAL GAMES

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**April 15th, 1953**

I hate funerals.

It reminded me of the ones I was exposed to while growing up. Folks gathered in a church, sniffling, and wishing their loved one was still alive...I've seen it all. First it was my grandparents, then it was my old man and ma. Thankfully my aunt was still alive, but she was in a retirement home. I visit her as often as I can, but time wasn't on my side and cases were beginning to pile up. With the string of recent murders and Chief Burton up my ass, it's no wonder how I'm still functioning today.

Dark, damp, and fucking depressing...they were the perfect ingredients for a miserable Tuesday. A looming thunderstorm was in the forecast and hung over the graveyard, as mourners gathered around the casket. Most of them were family members, others were friends and a few select of Chicago's finest. Either way, the late Marvin Gardner had a big turnout. It wasn't surprising, considering how much I learned about him three days ago.

He was executed, assassination style.

His wife found him in his study after she came back from the grocery store. Gardner had died; his eyes petrified with fear. It wasn't the first time I'd seen a victim die with their eyes open, but this one was different. He was shot in the head at point blank range with a pillow to muffle the sound. Whoever killed him must have struck enough terror to leave a mark. Based on the information I received, Gardner was a businessman for a small pharmaceutical company known as Oxwell. Whether it was someone with a personal vendetta or just did it for money, I didn't know.

The irony was that it was raining, just like today. Ma would have said it was an act of God. Me, on the other hand believed someone was jealous of his success and wanted to end his life.

Gardner's record was the equivalent of a poster boy. Graduated the top of his class, born to successful Polish immigrants, married to a beautiful woman that would have men drooling for days-he was the American dream.

And now the dream was about to be buried six feet under.

_"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Marvin Herbert Gardner..."_

The pastor uttered the dreaded words I never wanted to hear again. As much as I loathed this place, I was in charge of protecting Mrs. Gardner and her twin daughters. It was standard procedure, and I couldn't say no to my job.

I leaned against the tree, and reached for the last cigarette I had in my pocket. I was dressed the usual way- a black Armani suit with a white shirt, a tie, and polished shoes. This time, I chose black out of respect for the dead. My felt hat was lowered on my face, concealing whatever feelings I had at the moment. My overcoat whipped around me, as the wind began to pick up. Everything was pressed, fresh and clean, just the way I liked it. My old man may have been a bastard but I inherited his perfectionism. I was organized in every possible imaginative way and managed to charm ladies back in college with my style.

It hasn't changed either.

Cries from the funeral service pierced my ears as I searched for my lighter. White chairs were positioned in a wide, circular arc. Folks were dressed in the purest of black, adding the stench of death. If anything, I felt a degree of sympathy for the girls. They were the cutest pair I've ever seen. For them to not understand what was even going on around them, it was enough to make a grown man cry. They wore matching black dresses with a white bow in the middle, their little black shoes and short curly hair.

Their ma was behind them, a hand placed on both shoulders as they held their stuffed teddy bears. There was a saying about natural blonds flocking together, but I didn't have the faintest clue of who said that.

Their presence made me realize how much of a fucked up society we lived in these days.

After minutes of fumbling around, I found my lighter. I was about to light up, until a voice stopped me.

"Great day to have a goddamn funeral..."

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Detective Piers Nivan was one of a kind and was the type of guy you could go drinking with. I worked with him on cases before, but there was a chance of working together again.

"Just lovely." I answered him, sarcasm dripping from each word.

"He's the second one this month." At the corner of my eye, I noticed Piers took a pack of cigarettes from the breast pocket of his black suit. "It's no coincidence either. He was marked for death, just like Henderson. The irony is that they were both renown businessmen."

"The only difference is the way they were killed." Cigarette smoke perfumed the air as I lit mine. "Henderson was killed in a 'staged' accident, while Gardner was killed execution style. It was a hit...I'm sure of it."

Piers took out a cigarette and placed the rest back in his pocket. I offered him the lighter and he took it. Lighting his cigarette, he took a long puff and gave it back to me. "I owe you one, actually. I was looking for someone with a lighter."

I waved it off. "It's fine."

"The media hasn't been easy to handle." Piers gestured to the string of the latest police cars parked along the road. "Had to get some of the rookies to play population control. So far, so good. Things have been pretty smooth and no one entered from the back. About that 'hit' comment, I think there's more to it. Hopefully we get to the bottom of this."

_Hopefully..._

For the sake of the little girls Gardner left behind, I was determined to.


	3. Chapter Two: Umbrella

**Notes**: I would like to thank everyone for their reviews so far- they mean a lot. this story is a triangle romance, mixed with crime and other forms of drama, so I hope everyone enjoys it because there may be a sequel. Chapters will go from semi long to long.

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**|CHAPTER TWO**: UMBRELLA

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**11:30am**

"...I will like to thank both of you and your officers for your services. This has been...a rather difficult time for our family, but I'm confident that we'll get through this."

I could see tears glistening in her eyes.

Mrs. Gardner's southern drawl was almost like a musical note when she spoke. Any sane man would have been ashamed of hitting on a woman of her caliber but at the same time, I couldn't deny that she was even more attractive up close, even with her tear streaked face. The wealth of curls spilled along her back in perfect unison. Her eyes were a pale shade of gray, all of which reminded me of Aunt Lily. It wasn't often that you saw a woman with eyes like that, but they were like the beginnings of an incoming storm. Her skin was like Irish cream on a Sunday night. She wore a simple black dress with a bed of pearly whites, and black high heeled shoes.

It was beginning to rain, just as I suspected when the funeral ended. Her chauffeur- an old man with dark eyes and thinning gray hair was fiddling with a large umbrella to place over her head. She held her purse close to her chest, giving Piers and I a withered smile. We gave her a genuine smile as well, but it was professional to say the least. I assumed the girls were in the limousine, waiting to be carried to their aunt's house. Since the home was a crime scene, Mrs. Gardner was staying with her mother for the time being. While I'm not a huge fan of receptions, professionalism and the job description trumped preference.

"There's no need to thank us maa'm." Piers replied, glancing at me. "We're just doing our jobs."

Mrs. Gardner nodded. "Yes...yes of course. But still, I wanted to express my gratitude regardless. Maria and Linda are too young to understand, so I suppose this is just me speaking on their behalf."

Piers and I nodded in return. None of us could disagree with her, considering that it seemed like she was placing the children above everything else. Still, being a detective meant that everyone was a possible suspect. We still had questions to ask, but at this time, it wasn't appropriate.

"You are more than welcome to help yourselves to refreshments during the reception."

My stomach rumbled, but not loud enough for Piers or Mrs. Gardner to hear. I haven't eaten anything since that black coffee and bagel I forced down my throat before I reached the cemetery. I didn't know about Piers, but I did notice him entertaining the idea, so I followed along.

"That would be fine Mrs. Gardner," I said. "Please keep in mind that we still have some questions that will help our investigation, but we'll hold off until Thursday."

She twisted at the fabric material of the purse. "I understand. Well, I will meet you gentlemen at my mother's house."

We watched, as she left with her chauffeur. Piers sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. "This has been one hell of a morning Kennedy."

He wasn't wrong about that. "Pretty much." I pulled away from the tree I was leaning against. "C'mon, we have a reception to go to."

We made our way towards the black and white _Toyota FT-HS_ I usually rode in. It wasn't surprising that I had a taste in cars, as well as clothing and women. I guess it was in my blood, and was just enough to make most men jealous. As a kid growing up, I had to have the latest fashion or the latest shoes. I earned my way through college, where I worked as a waiter at an old restaurant that was similar to the new _Burger King_ place in Florida. All the college guys came there to hang out, including the jocks with their girlfriends. I can't say I had much trouble with anyone, so I guess my school days were smooth. I got in a few fights here and there, but that was only because I didn't like being provoked. It was like a saying I heard years ago- _Tease a dog, and they'll bite back_.

It didn't take long for us to reach the vehicle. I took the driver's seat, while Piers took the passenger side. It had been like that during our last case together. I would drive, while Piers checked clues on his notepad and talked about the latest football game. This time, however the conversation wasn't about the Celtics beating the Rays, as I put the car into gear and hightailed out of the cemetery.

The rain was harder now, forcing me to put on the wipers. First a funeral, now rain...Tuesday morning was proving to be more interesting by the second.

"You think she's faking?" The question came out of left field, and if I wasn't paying attention, I would have missed it the minute it came from his lips. I could see the doubt in his eyes, which ironically matched the suit and overcoat he wore. "Seems like everything is for her two little girls there. I wouldn't be surprised if those were crocodile tears either way. There's something about that woman that's been bugging me, but I'm not jumping to conclusions."

"I don't think she is," I said, pulling onto incoming traffic. "I'd be damned if she's using her kids for a pity party. I don't think she knew too much of what her husband was into."

"Heh..." Piers didn't sound convinced, at least from his tone. "...know what I think? She needs to be watched. This reminds me of that Raymond case I had down in Philly. Man was killed and stewed in his own blood until the maid found him. Turned out that his wife orchestrated the hit and we were too goddamn stupid to see through those crocodile tears."

I knew that case from the back of my head. Piers was famous for a number of cases and the Raymond case was on the front page for the weeks the investigation carried on. "It's probably not the same thing. This case is different."

"So I guess she only knew the business related stuff when it came to her husband's company." Piers reached inside of his overcoat and pulled out his notepad. "Mr. Gardner had some interesting documents in his home office. Does the name _Umbrella_ mean anything to you?"

_Umbrella?_

The name was foreign to me.

"Just yesterday, we found a weird looking file stashed between some books. It was black and had a strange symbol on it. I'm not sure what a file like that was doing there when he had a file cabinet, but it sure as hell gives us something to work with."

"It sure as hell does." I replied. "This was found while I was back at headquarters?"

"Yeah, no shit." Piers inched the pad close to my face so I could see his notes. I noticed that he sketched the symbol he was talking about. Traffic was beginning to slow down to a crawl, so I was able to get a better look. It was a octagonal shape, with red and white sections...unlike anything I had ever seen during my years on the force. What kind of company had that symbol? I sure as hell didn't see it on T.V or the newspapers.

"Did it have anything in it?" I asked.

Piers shook his head. "Not a single thing. It was just empty. Whatever this file had in...or what that symbol was about, I'm betting it had something to do with Gardner's murder."

I was silent then.

A car honked behind us, indicating that traffic was beginning to move once more.

Something told me that it wouldn't be the first or last time I saw that symbol.


	4. Chapter Three: Unexpected Guests

**Notes**: I know it may seem as if there's little answers to be found in the story, but trust me, they're coming. This chapter is much longer this time. I would like to note that while I do appreciate the favorites and alerts, reviewing wouldn't hurt either. I know some people are a little cautious because I took down some stories here and there to rework them, but this only happens when I either have a fresh idea or I want to rewrite something from scratch.

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**|CHAPTER THREE: **UNEXPECTED GUESTS

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**1:00pm**

"Gotta admit, her ma makes a damn good apple pie."

Piers appeared next to me with a white plate filled with a slice of what was probably the cleanest apple pie I've ever seen. Hell, it looked as if it came from the latest baking magazine. As someone who came from a ma who enjoyed baking on Sundays, I was impressed. Still, the only thing I got from the reception was a cinnamon bun and five spinach quiches. They were good and satiated my hunger, at least for now. Thinking about the leftover cream mashed potatoes and steak back at my apartment was enough for me to appreciate the value of a home cooked meal.

It was only a matter of when I'll be able to go home, that is.

Still, I couldn't argue with Piers. The way he used the fork to slice into it was in some ways divine. I nodded and continued looking out onto the street from the porch. Not a damn thing was going on for the past couple of minutes, except the usual yelling I heard from kids playing when I came home from work early. Cars were parked on both sides of the street, with spaces between them. Well kept grass were visible on both sides of the sidewalk. This was a good neighborhood, and the houses down the block looked pretty expensive. Aunt Gardner's house was a lovely shade of crimson brick and white. The porch was a shade of white wood, complete with crimson lawn chairs, two on each side of a small white coffee table. Four overhanging plants with purple and white lilies made up the rest of decor.

Inside was just as elegant as the porch itself. Red and white was prevalent throughout the house.

Fortunately, the rain decided to let up. Rain drops were still visible on the grass, sidewalk and the road.

"Don't overstuff yourself," I said with a smirk, causing Piers to smirk as well.

"Heh, I'm still working on those six packs." He patted his stomach with a free hand for emphasis.

I rolled my eyes at his light teasing. "Still playing basketball on the weekends? I heard from your girlfriend that you're considering the big leagues."

"Linda?" Piers laughed. "She's one hell of a girl. I should have known she was chalking up that rumor around you and my buds. Nah, I'll be a detective till the day I grow old. I didn't join the force for nothin'. Solving cases has always been my specialty."

I shared that same dream when I joined the force as well. Pa's murder drove me to hunt down every son of bitch that did harm to others. Every policeman on the force had that dream of making it to detective status but it wasn't an easy road. I remembered my own road to that status. Training had been difficult for the most part, and being a rookie among the older guys made you feel like a kid again. Now, with most of those guys retiring and with me and Piers taking their place, my 'rookie' days were over. The best mentor I had was Andrew Chambers. He showed me the ropes, had my back on some occasions, and got the guys off my back when they felt like teasing me.

God rest his soul.

He passed away two years ago in his sleep and joined his wife up there in the clouds.

"I don't think there was anyone who didn't share that dream. Rookie days were hard but look where we are now."

Piers finished the last piece of his pie. "Yeah, no kidding. I still hear old man Chambers voice ringing over my head from time to time. He was as much as a mentor for me as anyone else. I heard his daughter got into nursing school."

"Rebecca?" It was the first time old man Chambers introduced me to his daughter. She was adorable, petite, and had the mannerisms of the English queen herself. She was tomboyish but she was very smart for her age. I always knew she was always interested in the medical field, ever since I saw her playing doctor in a skit at Chicago High.

"Yeah, she passes by my neighborhood every now and then. We don't live too far from each other. She also got married to this guy Wilson...some big shot doctor out in the city. They have two kids."

"Where the hell was I when this happened?" I must have been way too busy for my own good to know what was going on around me.

Piers shrugged. "How the hell should I know? I don't hear you talk about much of anything, especially a love life. Tell me, when's the last time you took a woman on a date?"

I opened my mouth to answer him, but realized I didn't even have one to give.

Piers sighed. "I knew it. What happened to that woman back at the bar I took ya to three weeks ago? No follow-up? She was attractive as hell Kennedy. Jesus man, you gotta stop drivin' the women away. You can choose whoever you want with good looks like that."

_...Ada Wong...?_

At least I remembered her name.

Piers took me to some place called _'Gentleman's Bar_' on a Saturday. The place was crawling with off-duty cops and the regulars who got drunk every weekend. Lap dances wasn't my thing, but I couldn't deny there was a fair share of attractive women who wanted nothing more than to get their twenty dollar tips. Ada Wong was one of those women, but at the same time she held her own against a stiff. After bar hours, I got around to meeting her and we talked for a few minutes but other than that, I couldn't see this working out as a relationship at all. She was gorgeous, and I learned she was from Eurasia but other than that, there were things that just didn't click with her.

In short, we went our separate ways and we never saw each other again.

"She wasn't really my type." I got right to the point.

Piers shook his head. "Nah, you know what I think your problem is? You focus way too much on the job and you don't make room for a social life."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on, you know exactly what I mean." Piers crumbled the white plate in his hand. "I asked you to come with me to the golf course to hang out with the boys and you told me you had stuff to do. Then I introduced you to that Ada Wong chick and you didn't even acknowledge what I was even trying to do for you. Seriously, what's going on Kennedy?"

Before I could answer him, a sleek, black limousine rolled up in front of the house. It was enough to catch my attention, so I didn't have a chance to give Piers a good piece of my mind. He must have seen the limousine too because he didn't go on to lecture me to death, as usual.

"Well I'll be damned..." I heard him mutter under his breath. "Who the hell could that be?"

I didn't know. It was very rare to see a limousine in a Chicago neighborhood, unless it involved some rich businessman revisiting his past memories. In this case, I didn't know what to think.

Once the limousine stopped, the driver's side opened, revealing the driver himself. The guy looked muscular enough to pummel anything with his bare hands, considering that the black coat he wore looked as if it was a few sizes too small, even if it did fit him well. Even though he wore a felt hat that matched his coat, I could see his hair color. It was almost like a washed out blond, as if someone forgot to dye their hair the day before. He was tall, with a scar running down the right side of his face, until it reached his lips. I couldn't imagine what could have caused a scar like that, other than a knife, but that didn't concern me at the moment.

I watched, as he made his way around the limousine and onto the sidewalk. He opened the passenger side and held the door. A dark figure stepped out of the limousine with relative ease. The minute he stepped out, I could have sworn the blood ran cold in my veins. There was a few things that scared me while I was growing up -the boogeyman, Dracula, clowns...it was the usual shit kids pissed their pants over during Halloween. But there was something about the man that chilled me to the bone. I didn't physically flinch, but this was more of a mental reaction than anything else.

When he came into full view, I could tell he was just as tall as his driver. He wore a leather black trench coat, reminiscent of what Nazi officers would wear during World War II. Come to think of it, it was at least eight years since the war ended. I didn't remember much from that time, since I was focusing on my studies in college. I mean, I heard stories from my friends about their fathers joining the war but I didn't really pay much attention to it. Fortunately for them, their fathers returned home safely and they had their happy family again.

Slick, blond hair was covered by a felt hat. He wore a black suit with a shirt of the same color and a dark gray tie with white stripes. Polished, Armani shoes were in plain view; everything about this man screamed expensive. The oddest thing about him, was the dark glasses he wore, despite the somber weather. I didn't recall the sun being out, but either way it was creepy.

He was well in shape with the physique of a body builder, but not overly muscular. Whoever this man was, he was powerful and was intimidating to the point I felt uneasy standing next to Piers.

It didn't take long for any of us to notice he wasn't alone. As soon as he got out of the limousine, he stretched out his arm. Someone else got out and took his leather gloved hand.

The minute I saw this person, my heart stopped.

It was a woman, but it wasn't just any woman. I wasn't new to seeing beautiful women on a daily basis, she was unlike anyone I had ever seen. The first thing that caught my eye was the long, curly locks of natural red hair that was done in a fancy hairstyle that reminded me of something you would see in a French magazine. The curls ran down her back in a straight line. She had a cream-like complexion, which was emphasized by the curved white and black flowered hat on her head. I didn't see her eyes too well, but everything else was in plain view. She wore all black as well, and held her purse close to her chest with a free hand.

"Well, this is something you don't see every day." I heard Piers mutter once more. "A creepy looking guy with a gorgeous woman by his side..."

I didn't answer him. I could only watch as the man exchanged some words with the driver as soon as he closed the door. The driver nodded, and made his way around the vehicle once more, until he reached the driver's side. The door was opened once more and he stepped in, closing it behind him.

The couple made their way towards the house. I got to see more of the woman before me. Despite her makeup and natural beauty, her face was downcast as she locked arms with the one next to her. I assumed she might have known Ms. Gardner or her family and heard the news, but I wasn't the type to just assume things.

The man next to her, on the other hand was like the human popsicle with very little emotion.

As soon as he saw us standing there on the porch, he stopped. A small, tight lipped smirk was on his face. Piers cleared his throat, and I gave a respective nod, despite my uneasiness.

"Detective Nivan and Detective Kennedy...it's a pleasure to meet both of you in person." His voice was rich, deep, and was just as emotionless as the smirk he gave us.

I was finally able to muster enough courage to speak. "...Do we...know you?" I asked before Piers could say anything. We were considered famous, by Chicago's standards but not among the businessmen.

He didn't hesitate to answer my question. "Perhaps not, but I know much about your work in Chicago and your most recent case."

_Most recent case...?_

"Are you related to Ms. Gardner...or knew Mr. Gardner by any chance?" I heard Piers ask. "It's pretty odd seeing a limousine in the middle of a neighborhood."

Piers received the same straightforward response as I did. "I knew Mr. Gardner well. We were engaged in business at one point, which is why I came here with my wife to pay our respects. A tragedy indeed."

Even as he said those words, I wasn't sure if I even believed them. Hell, a man with glasses on in the middle of crappy weather with the mannerisms of a freezer couldn't possibly have human emotions for someone who was murdered in cold blood.

But I decided not to interject my thoughts into the small conversation.

Some things were better left unsaid.


End file.
